Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Des Moines, IA

March 13, 1990Buena Vista County, Clay County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 11:44 PM CST for Buena Vista County, Clay County, Iowa. It was in force for 31 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 1990, 11:44 PM CST (05:44 UTC)
Expired
Mar 14, 1990, 12:15 AM CST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Buena Vista County, IA, Clay County, IA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 203 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 1990-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 1990-03-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 87 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3595 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 140544
SVRDSM
IAC021-041-140615-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1144 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF IOWA
      NORTHERN BUENA VISTA...CLAY

AT 1140 PM...WEATHER RADAR IN DES MOINES INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY IN NORTHWEST
IOWA.  THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 45 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE TOWNS OF ALTA...LINN GROVE...SPENCER AND DICKENS
SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES
AN HOUR...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOU HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT
DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

IN ADDITION...THESE STORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCED WARNING SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

MCQUIRTER

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 9:22 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
IAZALL-140330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
920 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 1 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 915 PM...ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER PARTS
OF NORTHEAST...EAST CENTRAL...AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE
LOCATED NEAR ELDORA...35 MILES WEST OF WATERLOO...NEAR WEST UNION...45
MILES NORTHEAST OF WATERLOO...AND FROM WHAT CHEER TO MORENGO...BETWEEN
OTTUMWA AND CEDAR RAPIDS.

VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS OF 50 TO 60
MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

THESE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WAS SCATTERED OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHEAST ONE
HALF OF THE STATE.

ALSO...OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO PARTS OF NORTHLWEST
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

DM
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 9:51 PM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
IAZALL-140330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
950 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 1 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 930 PM...AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST
IOWA...45 MILES NORTHEAST OF WATERLOO NEAR POSTVILLE.  ANOTHER STRONG
THUNDESTORM WAS JUST NORTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS OF EAST CENTRAL IOWA.

VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50
MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE NORTHWEST...
NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST...AND EAST CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE STATE.

SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE ALSO IN THE SOUTHWEST COUNTIES OF IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHAST AT 40 TO 45
MILES AN HOUR.

MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 10:18 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
IAZALL-140330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1018 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 1 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 1010 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHWEST...
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA.  ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN IOWA WAS 45 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES
NEAR ADAIR.

VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS CAN
EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN
HOUR.

MG
Local storm report, Mar 13, 10:19 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...RESEND FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1020 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

TIME                    EVENT  AND  LOCATION

134 PM CST              MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS BETWEEN
                        OXFORD JUNCTION AND WYOMING/JONES COUNTY/

210-215 PM              EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS /CARROLL COUNTY/

330-340 PM              TORNADO ON THE GROUND ABOUT 6 MILES EAST
                        OF BLOOMFIELD /DAVIS COUNTY/

350 PM                  TORNADO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLOOMFIELD.
                        LINES DOWN...BARNS BLOWN OVER.

410 PM                  MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN COVINGTON AND HIAWATHA
                        JUST NORTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS/LINN COUNTY/

453 PM               TORNADO ON THE GROUND AT PRAIRIEBURG IN EXTREME
                     NORTHEAST LINN COUNTY

538 PM               HEAVY RAINS AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN WEST BRANCH
                     /CEDAR COUNTY/

720 PM               TORNADO IN RURAL WAUKEE IN DALLAS COUNTY

725-735 PM           TWO CONFIRMED REPORTS OF TORNADOES IN OGDEN AND
                     RIDGEPORT 8 NORTH OF BOONE /BOONE COUNTY/
                     REPORTS OF SEVERAL ROOFS BLOWN OFF...DAMAGE TO
                     OUTBUILDINGS AND LIVESTOCK DESTROYED AT A FARM.

740 PM               A TORNADO SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF STRATFORD DAMAGED
                     A FARM.  /HAMILTON COUNTY/
800-805 PM           TORNADO ON THE GROUND EAST OF ANKENY...SEVERAL
                     HOUSES DAMAGED ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE CITY.
                     CARS REPORTED BLOWN OFF THE HIGHWAY

JM
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 10:49 PM CST, 55 minutes before
IAZALL-140330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1048 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 1 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 1033 PM...SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN EXTREME WEST
CENTRAL IOWA...FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS TO 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND VERY STRONG WINDS
OF 50 TO 70 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE IN THE NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL...
NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE STATE.  ISOLATED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE.  A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WAS 40 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES NEAR GUTHRIE CENTER.
THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT
35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 10:57 PM CST, 47 minutes before
IAZALL-140330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1048 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 1 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 1033 PM...SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN EXTREME WEST
CENTRAL IOWA...FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS TO 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND VERY STRONG WINDS
OF 50 TO 70 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE NORTHWEST...
NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE STATE.
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF IOWA.
A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS 40 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES NEAR
GUTHRIE CENTER.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 TO
40 MILES AN HOUR.

MG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 6:09 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Dallas, Polk46 min
Mar 13, 7:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton35 min
Mar 13, 7:48 PM CSTTornado WarningDMXHamilton52 min
Mar 13, 8:12 PM CSTTornado WarningDMXPolk25 min
Mar 13, 8:30 PM CSTTornado WarningDMXStory35 min
Mar 13, 9:04 PM CSTTornado WarningDMXHardin26 min
Mar 13, 11:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford28 min
Mar 14, 12:20 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCass, Greene, Guthrie25 min
Mar 14, 12:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGreene35 min
Mar 14, 12:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCass35 min
Mar 14, 12:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGuthrie40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.